Chapter 104
Chapter 104
Gathering (2)
"So we all received letters delivered the same way!"
Tang Se-rin blinked her large deer-like eyes as she exclaimed in surprise.
After the chaotic first encounter, everyone except the masked man had gathered to converse. Naturally, the first topic among them was the mysterious messenger who had delivered their letters.
Se-rin continued, "Well, I'm only at the peak of the Extreme Realm, so I can understand being fooled, but to deceive even martial artists who've entered the Flowering Realm—what kind of ability must they possess?"
"No, it might just be because I've only recently ascended to this realm. My mastery is still lacking."
"Come on, that's nonsense. The Flowering Realm isn't so easily fooled, my friend."
As Mount Hua Sect's Do Ye-cheon answered, Hou Sect's Jang So-pyeong dismissed it outright.
Peng So-hye then proposed a new theory. "Hmm, then perhaps the Heavenly Dragon Guard Commander acted directly?"
"Black Shadow Execution!"
"Yes, if it were the Heavenly Dragon Guard Commander, that would certainly be possible."
Nam Mu-jin and Tang Se-rin nodded in agreement.
If the Martial Alliance Leader had summoned them personally, it was plausible that Jegal Seo-ah, the Heavenly Dragon Guard Commander who acted solely on the Leader's orders, had been the one to move. But these were all conjectures—nothing definitive.
Just then, Peng Dae-ho turned his head to the side. "Hey, you. Didn't you see anything?"
"......"
He was addressing the masked man, who remained silent.
Peng Dae-ho shrugged. "Hmph. Whoever you are, you're certainly a dull fellow."
"......"
For some reason, the masked man seemed deeply uncomfortable with the idea of his identity being revealed.
Was there really a need to hide it so stubbornly?
The others found it odd but respected his choice and moved on.
Then, Peng So-hye spoke up with a serious expression. "But most of us here are either former or current members of the Nine Dragons Society. What could the Alliance Leader possibly intend by gathering late-stage prodigies like us?"
"Well, I suspect it's one of two things."
"......!"
All eyes turned to Jang So-pyeong, who sat sprawled on the floor, idly twirling a small pipe between his fingers.
"First, considering none of us belong to sects aligned with the Elder Faction, we might be secretly investigating crimes linked to them. Or—"
"—He intends for us to uncover the mastermind behind the Gaebong Blood Sect."
"!!"
Do Ha-young completed Jang So-pyeong's thought.
If the Martial Alliance Leader was acting in such secrecy, it could only be one of those two things: purging the Elder Faction or dealing with the Gaebong Blood Sect.
But everyone gathered here hoped it was the latter.
"We saw it with our own eyes. The Gaebong Blood Sect's mastermind is definitely not from the Unorthodox Faction."
"Correct. The enemy clearly used demonic arts."
As Peng So-hye trembled, Nam Mu-jin spoke with a hardened expression.
Having witnessed the overwhelming martial prowess of Baek Ya-cha, they had repeatedly reported his existence and the possibility of a hidden mastermind to the Alliance, only for the Elder Faction to bury the matter each time.
Naturally, it had to be framed as the Unorthodox Faction's doing for their own political gain.
Amid the increasingly heavy atmosphere, Se-rin murmured, "My master said the sorcery used to create the Gaebong Blood Sect is a grand technique far beyond what Heaven-Piercing Gang could ever achieve."
"What...?!"
"Tch. We should have launched a full-scale investigation back then..."
"Hmph. What a shame."
Just then, Jang So-pyeong glanced at the two empty seats and muttered under his breath, "Se-woon. If that friend were here, he'd be a tremendous asset."
"......!"
At the mention of Tang Se-woon—the last heir of the fallen Sichuan Tang Clan—the expressions of those present shifted in varied ways.
Peng Dae-ho sighed deeply. "You're right. His absence alone is absurd."
"Hmm. Though I heard he had a falling out with the Alliance Leader."
"Pfft. Se-woon? Knowing that kid, it's definitely part of some grand scheme."
"......!"
Jang So-pyeong scoffed at Se-rin's words.
Everyone except Se-rin, who had never met Se-woon, nodded in agreement.
'How can they all trust him so unshakably?'
Se-rin was baffled.
"Lady Tang. By any chance, were you with Young Master Tang when you received the letter?"
Mount Hua Sect's Do Ye-cheon cautiously asked Se-rin, who shook her head.
"No. Se-woon left for Sichuan two days ago."
A chorus of disappointed sighs filled the room.
Unconcealable regret lingered on everyone's faces.
But Se-rin's words were undeniable.
After the conclave, she had checked Se-woon's pulse—his condition was dire.
Despite pushing himself to attend for the sake of his clan's restored position among the Seven Great Families, he needed at least a month of absolute rest and recovery.
"Hmm, is that so? I assumed one of these seats was undoubtedly reserved for Young Master Tang."
"Then who on earth are these seats for...?"
Just then—
Whoosh!
"!!"
"......!!"
Shock flashed across everyone's faces.
A sudden, vividly palpable energy had emerged.
In that instant, all eyes turned toward the water gate.
Though opaque, preventing visibility between inside and out, they all sensed it.
Step.
The energy's owner had stopped right before the gate.
"Hmm. That makes ten."
"I wonder how they'll enter this time."
Jang So-pyeong stroked his chin as Peng So-hye's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Meanwhile, Nam Mu-jin warned the others, "Everyone, step away from the gate. You might get hurt like Young Master Peng earlier."
"S-sorry..."
By now, they had grown comfortable enough to banter lightly.
But—
Whoooosh!
CRASH!
"!!!"
"......!!"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
An explosive surge of energy erupted from beyond the water gate.
"What the—?!"
"Th-that energy...!"
Even these prodigies, whose average martial prowess bordered on the Pinnacle Realm, couldn't help but be stunned.
The energy emanating from beyond the gate unmistakably belonged to the Flowering Realm—and not an unstable, newly ascended power like Do Ye-cheon's.
Whoosh!
It was a perfectly refined, fully mastered energy—so complete it rivaled that of their own sect leaders.
'Not an entry-level practitioner! This is full mastery of the Flowering Realm!'
'Wasn't the Alliance Leader gathering late-stage prodigies?'
But what shocked them even more was the nature of the energy—wild, ferocious, and utterly devoid of orthodox purity.
It felt closer to demonic arts than orthodox techniques.
Two people in particular stiffened at the sight.
'...Don't tell me.'
'Young Master Tang...?'
Do Ye-cheon and Ha-young exchanged glances.
The scene before them overlapped with memories of Se-woon's past rampages.
But only for a moment.
When they focused their energy-enhanced vision, their tense expressions quickly relaxed.
'It's not Young Master Tang.'
'Phew. This energy is entirely different.'
It bore no resemblance to the terrifying demonic energy Se-woon had once unleashed.
Though not the pure energy of orthodox techniques, it carried the untamed, unrestrained nature characteristic of unorthodox martial arts.
Hummm!
Huuuum!
Then, a resonant hum erupted louder than ever.
'Something's—!'
'Coming!'
A small dot, shadowed against the opaque water wall, expanded rapidly—
CRASH!
KABOOOM!
An explosion far beyond the prodigies' expectations detonated.
The shockwave rocked the entire space like an earthquake.
'Such destructively insane energy!'
'This power is monstrous...!'
Everyone in the room channeled their energy at full strength to barely withstand the incoming shockwave.
When the aftermath settled and they cautiously looked ahead—
"—!!"
"?!?!"
The water wall, renowned for its resilience, had been utterly obliterated.
Hiss!Crackle!
Fragments of the wall scattered around, dissolving into acrid smoke.
Then, through the haze, the silhouette of the mysterious figure grew clearer.
A man, just like them, wore a mask and a crimson cloak.
Hum!
His clenched fist still pulsed with visible fist energy.
And then—
"What kind of dogshit gate is this? Who the hell made this piece of trash?"
"?!"
A rough, gravelly voice echoed through the chamber.
"Hey, old man. Couldn't you have made these chairs a little softer? They're damn stiff."
The man ignored the stares boring into him and strode forward, plopping onto the seat at the head of the table.
Everyone in the room could only gape in disbelief.
If not for the identical mask and crimson cloak, they would have sworn a mountain bandit had stormed in.
As they all stared, the man tilted his head and sneered.
"What're you lookin' at, you brats? Keep starin' and I'll punch holes through your faces."
"!!"
His vulgar speech spat on decorum and propriety.
The prodigies exchanged glances, but none recognized him—not even Jang So-pyeong, who had met all the Alliance's high-ranking members.
"...Who are you?" Nam Mu-jin ventured cautiously.
The man shot him an icy glare from behind his mask.
"You dumb or somethin'?"
"......!"
The blatant insult froze Nam Mu-jin's expression.
But the man paid him no mind, pointing at his seat with a finger.
"Ain't I sittin' at the head? As of today, I'm your squad leader."
"!!"
Everyone paled.
They desperately hoped otherwise, but this man was indeed their appointed leader—sent by the Alliance Leader himself.
Yet his audacity in referring to himself as "this lord" was beyond absurd.
Jang So-pyeong barely contained his boiling anger.
"...What is the purpose of summoning us here?"
"None o' your damn business."
"...Excuse me?"
"What kind of—"
Thud.
The man casually propped his feet up on the table.
Seeing their stunned faces, he shook his head in disapproval.
"That damn old man. I came as a favor, and this is the thanks I get. No damn conscience."
"......!!"
The "old man" he referred to could only be Martial Alliance Leader Yoo Jin-hak.
As fury simmered in the prodigies' eyes, the man scanned them one by one with a piercing gaze, then clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Buncha useless brats. What the hell does he expect me to do with 'em?"
"!!"
The insult sent their blood boiling, but the man showed no intention of stopping.
"Well? Hurry up and sit the hell down."
Thus, the mysterious man—no, Tang Se-woon—coldly issued his command.
Chapter 105: The Tyrant of Sichuan